Centreville Manufacturing, Inc. Receives $50,000 Grant from Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Incentive Fund
Centreville Manufacturing, Inc. was presented with a $50,000 grant through the Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Incentive Fund at a ceremony on August 25, 2014 at its facility at the corner of US Route 301 and MD Rt. 304.
The company, also known as The Home of the Tag-a-long Trailer, began as Centreville Trailer in the late 1960’s and became Centreville Manufacturing in the late 1990’s when the company was purchased by John Doran. Since then, the company has evolved into a provider of mobile solutions, such as the Autocone 130, which the company invented and has sold to countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, and Japan. The Autocone 130 was featured on the Discovery Channel’s “How It’s Made.” It is a mechanized means of placing traffic cones on roadways. Use of the mechanical Autocone decreases the chance of injury or death to workers in road construction zones. Doran was recognized this year by the U.S. Small Business Administration Baltimore Office as the Exporter of the Year.
“Queen Anne’s County is so pleased to have a manufacturing facility with the versatility, diversity and vision of Centreville Manufacturing Inc. It is constantly seeking new options and opportunities to expand and evolve. Coupled with its focus on a local employment base, Centreville Manufacturing is truly an asset to the county” said Dr. Faith Elliott Rossing, Queen Anne’s County Economic Development Director.
The Economic Development Incentive Fund grant assisted in funding the acquisition of machinery that produces tanks of all sizes. During the presentation, Doran demonstrated how a stainless steel tank can be fabricated in less than twenty minutes. Centreville Manufacturing will be one of the few companies able to produce tanks for all types of applications from agriculture to homeland security.
The company is one of eight Queen Anne’s County companies that received awards from the first round of funding totaling $754,500 from the Economic Development Incentive Fund in June, 2014. The results of the awards, which total approximately half of the existing fund, will generate new 118 full-time and 32 part-time employees. The recipients represent a broad spectrum of industry sectors including agriculture (2), manufacturing (2), medical/research and development, technology, service/retail and hospitality, and are geographically dispersed across the county. The other companies that received funding in the first round of applications are: Power Electronics, Inc., in Millington, Chesapeake Farmers’ Cooperative, in Sudlersville, Harpoon Medical, Inc., in Stevensville, Kent Manor Inn, in Stevensville, Boyle Brothers Seed Processing in Queen Anne, The Grooming Place Pet Shop, in Chester, and Authentik Solutions, Inc., also in Chester.
In October 2012, the County Commissioners adopted Resolution 12-19 that provides for $.50 of every recordation tax transaction being dedicated to the Economic Development Incentive Fund as a replenishment source of monies for the fund. The original $750, 000 came from the sale of lands in the Chesapeake Bay Business Park. The recordation tax monies are expected to generate about $350,000 each year. Currently, the fund has approximately a $1.4 million balance. In May 2013, the County Commissioners established the Economic Incentive Fund Commission to manage the Incentive Fund by encouraging new and existing businesses to invest in Queen Anne’s County under Resolution 13-05. It is anticipated another round of applications will be accepted before the end of calendar year 2014.
For more information about the Economic Development Incentive Fund Program, contact Dr. Faith Elliott-Rossing at 410.604.2100 or visit http://www.qactv.com/economic-development-incentive-fund.